Leaving now this bird's eye view of what was happening, let us go back a
little and follow Corse's movements. He had arrived at Rome from Atlanta
September 27th, with two of his brigades, the third being already
there,--and thereafter had been busy, in accordance with his general
instructions and frequent communications from Sherman, in organizing and
equipping his command for the special work entrusted to him, which was in
effect to reconstruct and perfect the earthworks and defences, so as to
make Rome impregnable to assault, and at the same time to act as a corps
of observation, constantly feeling out for and spying after the enemy, and
ready, should occasion offer, to strike a heavy blow in any direction
where he should be discovered.
It was isolated, difficult and responsible service, and a dangerous one,
since the first contact might be with Hood's whole strength, but of the
very first importance to Sherman, whose ignorance of Hood's schemes and
inability to anticipate his movements, perplexed and harassed him, and
upon Corse he mainly relied to discover, by any or all means, the
movements and presence of the enemy.
Corse was well equipped for such service. He had acted as inspector on
Sherman's staff, and stood high with his chief, both in personal regard
and professional estimation. Of medium height, erect, active and alert,
ambitious, combative, decided, of sound judgment and indomitable courage,
the task of holding Allatoona could have fallen into no better hands. As
Grant, giving over a page of his memoirs to mention of the battle, says of
him, "Corse was a man who would never surrender."
On the third of October Sherman sent him a warning to be wary, that Hood
was meditating some plan on a large scale, and at noon of the 4th Corse
received the message already mentioned, by signal from Vining's to
Kenesaw, thence to Allatoona, and thence by wire to Rome, summoning him
instantly to the rescue of the threatened garrison. Corse had fortunately
already telegraphed to Kingston that cars be sent him. The train in moving
to Rome was partly derailed, but the single engine and about twenty cars
were ready by dark.
On these was loaded a portion of one of his brigades under command of
Colonel Rowett, viz; Eight companies, 39th Iowa, 280 men, Lieut.-Colonel
Redfield, commanding; 9 companies, 7th Illinois, 291 men, Lieut.-Colonel
Perrin, commanding; 8 companies, 50th Illinois, 267 men. Lieut.-Colonel
Hanna commanding; 2 companies, 57th Illinois, 61 men, Captain Van
Stienberg, commanding; detachment of the 12th Illinois, 155 men, Captain
Koehler, commanding, making a total of 1,054 men, which, with the
ammunition for the division, was all that the available transportation
could accommodate. The train left Rome at 8:30 p. m., and reached
Allatoona a little after midnight. The troops were debarked, the
ammunition unloaded with all speed, and the train immediately started back
to Rome for another cargo of troops. As it happened, in returning,
possibly with undue haste, considering the rough and insecure condition of
the track and roadbed, the train was again derailed, and in consequence no
further reinforcements reached Allatoona until about 8 p. m. of the
5th,--four hours after the battle was over.
[Illustration: SKETCH OF THE BATTLEFIELD.]
Corse immediately took command, and after a rapid survey of the field with
Tourtellotte, in the quiet of the starlit night, proceeded to make his
dispositions for defence.